Betrayal
by White Silence
Summary: They’d had no choice but to leave him behind when the Reavers hit. 100 word drabble series. Hint of Rayne COMPLETE
1. Betrayal

A/N: Pounded this out in ten minutes. Not beta-ed. 100 words exactly. Man, that was hard.  
I've been far too obsessed with livejournal lately, I nearly forgot I had an account here. XD

* * *

They'd had no choice but to leave him behind when the Reavers hit. River had been incoherent with rage but with the application of copious amounts of smoothers, could resume piloting duties. She consoled herself with the thought that he likely put his gun to his head when he found them gone but she couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal.

Months later, _Serenity_ was boarded but even River's best did nothing to keep them out. She slammed against the wall, the Reaver's body weight holding her off the ground. Her head snapped up to meet her attacker's wild eyes.

"Jayne?"


	2. Haze of Red

Jayne's POV

* * *

**Haze of Red**

He watched _Serenity_ lift off with a cry of despair. He went for his gun but it was wrenched from his hand before he could even pull the trigger. Rage descended on him, making him fight back, tearing them apart with bare hands.

Time passed in a haze of red. He hurt everyone and everything, trying to drive away the pain and betrayal that overwhelmed him and when that wasn't enough, he cut himself instead. Then one day, he threw a body against a metal bulkhead but instead of looking away, familiar brown eyes met his angry blue ones.

_River?_


	3. Not Enough

**Not Enough**

River stared into cold blue eyes and saw nothing but all encompassing rage. Nearly sweeping her away, she clung to memories of him as he had been, even those from Ariel. Then she saw his gaze flicker for an instant. But that instant was enough to sear her mind with all the pain and anguish he had felt when he'd been left behind, everything he'd done since then. She gasped under the onslaught of images.

_I'm sorry!_

_**ThaT's nOt eNoUGH!**_

_I didn't want to!_

Turning the tide, she pushed all of her guilt over leaving him behind into _his_ mind.

* * *

A/N: I didn't intend this to become a series but what do I know? I'm just the author.  
I think the Jayne-who-lives-in-my-head is mad at me. At least, that's the impression I'm getting since he's holding Vera on my muse.  
Also, the Jayne thoughts in this bit don't quite show up properly on FFNet. Visit my lj to see it how I wanted it. Link's in my userinfo. 


	4. A Desperate Hope

**A DESPERATE HOPE**

The shock of her presence was jarring but the sudden push of foreign emotions into his head sent him reeling. He was swept away by her horror at the thought of leaving him to his nightmares, the hatred directed at herself for not knowing that _they_ were coming and a desperate hope that he had been able to escape. Images of a girl, running determinedly down a ramp, being forcibly restrained by two strong men, begging them to turn back, broke through the haze in his mind like sunlight through a winter storm.

_**W****hy?**_

_You did not deserve that fate._

* * *

Again, Jayne thoughts not showing up correctly. Check my livejournal if you want to see it. Link's in my profile._  
_


	5. No Right to Ask

**NO RIGHT TO ASK**

_**Save me!**_

He slammed her body against the wall again, stars across her vision. Elsewhere in the ship, Reaver screams echoed as they tried to find the hidden crew. _Serenity_ was overrun and even if she could fight them all off, she wasn't sure if the boat would be able to fly. Still, it was her home and had once been his too. River stared at Jayne's mutilated face, all their sorrow crashing over her and knew that she had no right to ask him, gave that up when she left him for dead but she would anyway.

_Help me?_

* * *

As usual, Jayne thoughts not showing up correctly. Check my livejournal if you want to see it. Link's in my profile._  
_


	6. Rush of Battle

**Rush of Battle**

_**whY?**_

_You're home._

The red receded from his vision, leaving him breathless and confused. She glanced at the Reavers, eyebrow raised in challenge. He grinned. The fight would give him focus, pull him from depravity.

They hit the Reavers like tidal waves, driving towards the hold. He remembered another fight, another wave she had ridden, remembered wanting to propagate the graceful fists and booted feet, ride the crests and troughs with her but painfully discovering he was interference instead. Now, in the rush of battle, he was not simply riding the fight, he was a prism, amplifying, reflecting, refracting her.

* * *

A/N: Jayne thoughts You should know the drill by now. Link's in my profile. 


	7. Finite

**Finite**

The screams of their brethren drew the other Reavers. Their numbers seemed endless but were found finite when silence fell and they stood facing each other amid the red.

He broke her gaze and saw, not just the dead around them, but the trail he'd left behind. Eyes, clear for only moments, clouded over again and she watched his soul shatter with a force that drove him to his knees.

She couldn't not know what he wanted when he pushed the gun into her hand.

_**PlEAse!**_

She closed her eyes.

_Inhale._

_Exhale._

All she saw was black, just like him.

* * *

A/N: Jayne thoughts You should know the drill by now. Link's in my profile.  
Yes, this is really the last one. :D 


End file.
